Cushion adjustable and display devices for treadmills

Abstract

A cushion adjustable device for a treadmill includes a base plate fixed on a horizontal portion of one of two sides of a frame of the treadmill and a movable member is slidably engaged with a groove defined in the base plate. The movable member includes a resilient roller which is in contact with an underside of the deck of the treadmill. By moving the adjustable device, the resilient roller is moved to a desired position relative to the deck so as to provide a better cushion feature of the deck. A cushion display device includes an indication member and an extension rod which is fixed to the underside of the deck so that when the deck is deformed in vertical direction, the indication member is moved in vertical direction to show the deformation of the deck in the vertical direction.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cushion adjustable and display devices for treadmills, wherein a resilient roller can be moved to a desired position under the deck so as to evenly support the load and the deformation of the deck can be displayed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional treadmill 40 is shown in FIG. 9 and generally includes a frame with two side support boards 411 and two rollers 43 are connected between the two side support boards 411. A motor 41 is connected to a front end of the frame and two posts 42 extend from two sides of the frame so as to be connected with a handle which is not shown. A plurality of resilient members 412 are located on a top of each of the side support boards 411 and a deck 44 is supported on the resilient members 412 and fixed to the frame. An endless belt 45 is driven by the rollers 43 which are driven by the motor 41 and the deck 44 is located between the top portion and the bottom portion of the loop-like endless belt 45. As shown in FIG. 10, when a user walking or running on the endless belt 45, the load is supported by the resilient members 412 which are deformed by the load and absorb the shocks so that the user feel comfortable when using the treadmill. However, the resilient members 412 cannot effectively provide a satisfied result to the users and cannot be adjustable according needs of different users.

The present invention intends to provide cushion adjustable and display devices which respectively adjust the position of the resilient roller under the deck and displays levels of the deformation of the deck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a treadmill which comprises a frame having two sides and a motor and two rollers are connected between the two sides. Each of the two sides of the frame has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, a plurality of resilient members are fixed on each of the two horizontal portions. A deck is supported on the resilient members and fixed to the horizontal portions. The deck is located between a top portion and a bottom portion of a loop-like endless belt driven by the two rollers. A cushion display device has an indication member which is fixed to an underside of the deck and movably points marks seen on an outside of one of the vertical portions when the deck is deformed in vertical direction. A cushion adjustable device is located on one of the horizontal portions and beneath the deck. The cushion adjustable device has a base plate fixed on the horizontal portion and a movable member is movably engaged with a groove defined in the base plate. A resilient roller is connected to the movable member which can be operated from an outside of the frame.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cushion adjustable cushion device for a treadmill wherein the movable cushion device has a resilient roller which can be moved relative to the underside of the deck when needed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cushion display device for a treadmill wherein the deformation of the deck in vertical direction can be seen from outside of the frame by the cushion display device.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the treadmill with cushion adjustable and display devices of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the deck, the endless belt and the frame of the treadmill;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the cushion adjustable and display devices of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view to show the cushion adjustable device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view to show the knob of the cushion adjustable device and the transparent plate for the cushion display device of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilient roller can be movable relative to the deck and the base plate;

FIG. 7 is a side cross sectional view to show that the deck is deformed in vertical direction;

FIG. 8 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilient roller is moved to a position to support the load on the deck;

FIG. 9 shows the deck, the endless belt, the frame and the resilient members on the frame of the traditional treadmill, and

FIG. 10 is a side cross sectional view to show that the resilient members are compressed when the user uses the conventional treadmill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the treadmill “A” of the present invention comprises a frame 12 having two sides and a motor 10 and two rollers are connected between the two sides. Two rollers are driven by the motor 10. Two posts 11 extend from the two sides of the frame 12 and are connected with a handle. Each of the two sides of the frame 12 has a vertical portion 13 and a horizontal portion 14 which extends from an inner side of the vertical portion 13. A plurality of resilient members 17, 18, 19 are fixed on each of the two horizontal portions 14. A deck 15 is supported on the resilient members 17, 18, 19 and is fixed to the horizontal portions 14 by extending bolts through the deck 15, the resilient members 17 to 19 and being connected to the horizontal portions 14. A loop-like endless belt 16 is driven by the two rollers and the deck 15 is located between a top portion and a bottom portion of the loop-like endless belt 16.

A cushion display device 20 has an indication member 21 and an extension rod 22 perpendicularly extends from a rear side of the indication member 21 and the extension rod 22 movably extends through a vertical slot 131 defined in the vertical portion 13 and is connected to the underside of the deck 15. A cover 34 is attached to an outside of the vertical portion 13 and includes an opening 341 with which a transparent plate 23 is engaged. A plurality of marks 24 are marked on the transparent plate 23 so that when the deck 15 is deformed in vertical direction as shown in FIG. 7, the extension rod 22 and the indication member 21 are moved with the deck 15 so that the deformation can be seen by reading the marks 24.

A cushion adjustable device 30 is located on one of the horizontal portions 14 and beneath the deck 15. Preferably, the cushion adjustable device 30 is located on a mediate portion of the horizontal portion 14. The cushion adjustable device 30 includes a base plate 31 fixed on the horizontal portion 14 and the base plate 31 includes two sidewalls and a groove 311 is defined between the two sidewalls. Two elongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses 312 are defined in the two sidewalls respectively. Two lugs 313 extend from the two sidewalls of the base plate 31 respectively and each lug 313 has a hole 314 defined therethrough.

A movable member 32 has a toothed surface 322 defined in a top thereof and two wedge-shaped sides 321 which are slidably engaged with the two elongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses 312. A U-shaped bracket 323 is connected to an end of the movable member 32 and includes two extensions 324. A resilient roller 33 is located between the two extensions 324 by extending a pin 326 through two respective holes 325 in the two extensions 324 and the resilient roller 33. The pin 326 has an end extending through a first elongate slot 132 defined in the vertical portion 13, a second elongate slot 342 defined in the cover 34 attached to the vertical portion 13 and is connected with a cap 327 which has a point 328. A transparent member 35 is attached on the cover 34 and the point 328 is movably located within a rage of the transparent member 35.

A rod 37 has a square end 371 which extends through two respective holes 314 in the two lugs 313, a passage 381 in a gear 38 located between the two lugs 313, a first through hole 133 the vertical portion 13, a second through hole 343 in the cover 34 and is securely engaged with a square recess defined in the knob 36. A ridge 372 extends radially from an outer periphery of the rod 37 and a slot 382 is defined in an inner periphery of the passage 381 of the gear 38 so that the ridge 372 on the rod 37 is engaged with the slot 382. An annular groove 373 is defined in the rod 37 and a C-shaped clip 374 is engaged with the annular groove 373 to position the gear 38. The gear 38 is engaged with the toothed surface 322 so that the movable member 32 is moved relative to the deck 15 by rotating the knob 36.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a user is walking or running on the deck 15, the load from the user applies to a position of the deck 15 according to the position that the user's foot contacts the deck 15 and creates a deformation “h1” in vertical direction. When the user wants to have better support, the resilient roller 33 can be moved to that position as shown in FIG. 8 by rotating the knob 36. In other words, the user can check the cushion display device 20 to decide that the level of the deformation of the deck 15, and the user operates the knob 36 to move the resilient roller 33 to reduce the deformation of the deck 15 from “h1” to “h2” as shown in FIG. 8.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A treadmill comprising: a frame having two sides and a motor connected between the two sides, two rollers connected between the two sides of the frame and driven by the motor, two posts extending from the two sides of the frame and connected with a handle, each of the two sides of the frame having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion which extends from an inner side of the vertical portion, a plurality of resilient members fixed on each of the two horizontal portions, a deck supported on the resilient members and fixed to the horizontal portions, a loop-like endless belt driven by the two rollers and the deck located between a top portion and a bottom portion of the loop-like endless belt;a cushion display device having an indication member which is fixed to an underside of the deck and the indication member movably pointing marks seen on an outside of one of the vertical portions when the deck is deformed in vertical direction, anda cushion adjustable device located on one of the horizontal portions and beneath the deck, the cushion adjustable device having a base plate fixed on the horizontal portion and a movable member movably engaged with a groove defined in the base plate, a resilient roller connected to the movable member which is operated from an outside of the frame.

2. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cushion adjustable device is located on a mediate portion of the horizontal portion.

3. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate includes two sidewalls and the groove is defined between the two sidewalls, two elongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses are defined in the two sidewalls respectively, the movable member has two wedge-shaped sides which are slidably engaged with the two elongate wedge-shaped engaging recesses.

4. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member has a toothed surface defined in a top thereof and two lugs extend from the two sidewalls of the base plate respectively, a rod extends through two respective holes in the two lugs, a gear located between the two lugs, a through hole the vertical portion and is connected to a knob, the gear is engaged with the toothed surface so that the movable member is moved relative to the deck by rotating the knob.

5. The treadmill as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rod has a square end which is securely engaged with a square recess defined in the knob.

6. The treadmill as claimed in claim 4, wherein a ridge extends radially from an outer periphery of the rod and the gear includes a passage through which the rod extends, a slot is defined in an inner periphery of the passage and the ridge on the rod is engaged with the slot.

7. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein a U-shaped bracket is connected to an end of the movable member and includes two extensions, the resilient roller is located between the two extensions by extending a pin extending through two respective holes in the two extensions and the resilient roller.

8. The treadmill as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pin has an end extending through a first elongate slot defined in the vertical portion, a second elongate slot defined in a cover attached to the vertical portion and is connected with a cap which has a point, a transparent member is attached on the cover and the point is movably located within a rage of the transparent member.

9. The treadmill as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cover is attached to the vertical portion and includes an opening with which a transparent plate is engaged, the marks are marked on the transparent plate, an extension rod perpendicularly extends from a rear side of the indication member and the extension rod movably extends through a vertical slot defined in the vertical portion and is connected to the underside of the deck.